A potent late-season winter storm is punishing the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley with heavy snow this evening after leaving residents of the Upper Midwest in nearly a foot of new snow today. This is part of the same system that will clock the Appalachian Spine and Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday.

An arc of moderate to heavy snow is relentlessly pounding residents from south-central Wisconsin into central Indiana and northwestern Ohio tonight. Chicago`s O`Hare International Airport is digging out of 9.0 inches of fresh snow since late this morning, with 8.9 inches being measured near Madison, Wis.

Even where the storm is in its wrap up stage across Minnesota and Iowa, snowfall totals have been quite impressive. Lakeville, Minn., received 10.0 inches of snow, with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport measuring 9.0 inches. Dubuque Regional Airport in Iowa is shoveling out of a half-foot of snow, with Galena Territory, Ill., racking up 7.7 inches thus far.

Though little additional snowfall accumulation is expected across the Upper Midwest tonight, another 1 to 3 inches of snow will push totals near a foot for Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Similar snowfall amounts will fall across southern Wisconsin, where many places will be digging out of 8 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow by Wednesday.

As the system leaves the Ohio Valley in favor of the Mid-Atlantic Coast, it will continue to squeeze out its abundant moisture as heavy snow along and north of the Interstate 70 corridor in Indiana and Ohio. Cities like South Bend, Ind., Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are all in line to pick up 4 to 8 inches of snow through tonight and early Wednesday afternoon.

Winter Storm Warnings now extend from southern Wisconsin into southwestern Pennsylvania, including Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, and Pittsburgh. Winter Weather Advisories flank the northern and southern fringes of the warnings, including places like Milwaukee and Louisville, Ky.

Snow falling at 1 to 2 inches per hour will combine with gusty winds, making travel extremely difficult, if not impossible tonight and early Wednesday. If you must travel, allow plenty of time and distance between you and the next motorist, to arrive at your travel destination safely. Make sure to carry a winter survival kit in case you become stranded.

The storm will become a menace for the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and potentially the New England Coast for the middle of the work week. Rain, heavy, wet snow, high winds and power outages could be on the weather menu. Click here for the latest East Coast update.

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